The Castaways TV Adaptation Coming To Paramount+ As A Drama Series

Paramount+ is to release a brand new TV drama series, The Castaways, based on Lucy Clarke’s bestselling novel of the same name. Moreover, Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens are set to star in the UK original series as two sisters on the vacation of a lifetime in exotic Fiji. Read on to find out what we know so far about what sounds like an excellent drama/thriller series.

The Castaways on Paramount+

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Lucy Clarke, The Castaways will release on Paramount+. Meanwhile, the original series stars Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens as two sisters heading for a vacation of a lifetime in Fiji.

However, after a sisterly fight, Erin (Buckens) never boards the flight to their tropical resort in Fiji. Meanwhile, the plane, with Lori (Smith) onboard, never arrives at its destination in Fiji. However, when Lori’s credit card is used in a shop in a remote village in Fiji, Erin immediately sets out from her home in the UK. She plans to investigate the mystery surrounding her sister, Lori’s, disappearance.

Season 1 tells the story from Erin and Lori’s perspectives

The Castaway will jump between the two sisters, with viewers following Erin’s present-day investigation. Meanwhile, it will also reveal Lori’s struggle for survival after the plane crashes on a remote, tropical island.

While the storyline might sound similar to the hit series, Lost, and Tom Hank’s 2000 acclaimed movie The Castaway, the drama series reveals dark secrets in both the past and present. Those secrets will slowly reveal the truth of what happened to Lori and her fellow passengers.

Sheridan Smith and Celine Buckens on their role in The Castaways

Smith is a Bafta-nominated actress, known for her roles on TV and the big screen. She has previously starred in Gavin and Stacey, The C Word, The Railway Children, and various theater productions. Speaking of her role in The Castaways, the Jersey Evening Post quotes her as saying:

I’m so excited to be working with Celine Buckens and to be part of this amazing production bringing Lucy Clarke’s bestselling novel to life.

Speaking of her current role as Shirley Valentine on stage in London’s West End, Smith said it is ironic that she finally gets to go to Greece, where the series is filming. Viewers might recall the comedy movie version of Shirley Valentine and the stage version is a one-character play in the form of a monologue about a middle-aged housewife, focusing on her life before and after a transforming overseas vacation.

Meanwhile, Celine Buckens has also been nominated for awards at the Baftas and International Emmys. She dubs her character “a firecracker” adding that the scripts for the series bring “layers and darkness to such an arresting premise,” adding:

I hope audiences will be as hooked watching it as I was reading it.

As for the author, Lucy Clarke went on to praise the “electric scriptwriting” of the TV adaptation. She added that both Smith and Buckens are perfectly cast.

While as yet no premiere date has been mentioned, The Castaways will be exclusively available on Paramount+ and will be a series worth watching.